Jill Steans joined POLSIS in 2000 having previously been employed as a lecturer in International Relations at Keele University and Nottingham Trent University. Her research interests fall mainly in the area of gender in International Relations and International Political Economy.
Her book Gender and International Relations (3rd edition in progress) is known throughout the world. Along with Professor Thomas Diez (now at Tubingen University) she set up new undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes at Birmingham and is a founding member of the Department’s Research Group on IR Theory. The group has since been active in hosting a number of IR Theory related conferences and workshops which have generated publications in the Review of International Studies and Global Society. She is also a member of thePOLSIS International Political Economy Group and has recently established a research cluster on Gender in POLSIS. Dr. Steans is the lead author of a major teaching text International Relations: Perspectives and Themes (now in its 3rd edition). She is active in developing new teaching/employability initiatives, including a 20 credit practice based/internship module, which will be an option on the revamped MA in IR (Gender).
During her time at Birmingham Dr. Steans has guided six MPhil/PhD students to completion, including students supported by the ESRC, and has co-supervised many more. She has performed a variety of senior administrative/managerial roles including: School Director of Research and Knowledge Transfer; Deputy Head of Department; Finance Officer; Acting Director of Learning and Teaching and Director of the Graduate School. Beyond Birmingham,
Dr. Steans is involved in a number of national and international research networks, including: the British International Studies Associations Working Group on Gender and IR; the British International Studies Association International Political Economy Group and a research network on Critical International Political Economy. She has acted as an External Examiner (University of Southampton), has engaged in public consultancy exercises (including the British FCO and INSTRAW ) and has refereed for national and international research funding bodies including the ESRC, the Irish Research Council for the Humanities and Social Sciences and the Canadian Research Council. She has also served on a number of Editorial Boards and Committees including: theReview of International Studies; the British Journal of Politics and International Relations; and the International Feminist Journal of Politics
(2012-forthcoming) ‘No More Heroes: Politics and Disenchantment in the Films of Shane Meadows’, In: Godfrey, S. and Fradley, M. (eds) Straight Outta Uttoxeter: The Films of Shane Meadows, Manchester: Manchester University Press.
(2011 forthcoming) (with Daniela Tepe) ‘The Global and Gendered Dimensions of Citizenship, Community and ‘Cohesion’’ International Politics.
(With Daniela Tepe) ‘Introduction: Social Reproduction in International Political Economy: Theoretical Insights and International, Transnational and Local Sitings’ Review of International Political Economy,17, 5, 2010: 807-815.
‘Gendered Bodies, Gendered Spaces, Gendered Places: A Critical Reading of HBO’s The Wire’, International Feminist Journal of Politics, 13, 1, 2010: 100-107.
Revisionist Heroes and Dissident Heroines: Gender, Nation and War in Soviet Films of ‘the Thaw’, Global Society, 24, 3, 2010: 401-419.
(with Lloyd Pettiford, Thomas Diez, Imad El-Anis) (2009) 3rd ed. International Relations: Perspectives and Themes, London: Pearson.
(2009) ‘Body Politics: Women’s Human Rights in International Relations.’ In: Laura Shepherd (ed) Gender Matters, London: Routledge
(2009) ‘The Gender Politics of International Relations.’ In: Yoke Lian Lee (ed) Gender Politics in International Relations, London: Palgrave
(2008) (With Daniela Tepe) ‘Gender in the Theory and Practice of IPE: The Promise and Limitations of Neo-Gramscian Approaches.’ In: Alison Ayers (ed) Modern Princes, Naked Emperors, London: Palgrave.
‘Telling Stories about Women and Gender in the War on Terror.’ Global Society, 21, 1, January 2008.
‘Negotiating the Politics of Difference in the Project of Feminist Solidarity’, Review of International Studies, 33, 4, October, 2007: 729-743.
‘Debating Women’s Human Rights as a Universal Feminist Project: Defending Women’s Human Rights as a Political Tool.’ Review of International Studies January, 33, 2007: 11-27.
(2006) Gender and International Relations: Issues, Debates, Future Directions, Cambridge: Polity Press.
(With Dr. Lloyd Pettiford and Dr. Thomas Diez) (2005) (2nd ed). Introduction to International Relations: Perspectives and Themes.
(with Thomas Diez) ‘Habermas and International Relations: A Useful Dialogue?’ Review of International Studies, 31, 1, January, 2005: 127-140
(2005) ‘The Private is Global: Feminist Politics and Global Political Economy.’ In: Chan, S. and Moore, C (eds) Theories of International Relations, London: Sage (Library of International Relations Series)